A Day in Paris

Saturday, May 15th, was our day to explore Paris. Refreshed by a good night's sleep and fortified with an excellent breakfast at our hotel, our first stop was the d'Orsay museum. As part of our "package" we were taken by bus to the museum and we had an excellent guide who was able to bring us into the group entrance just as the building was opening.

The rhino is one of the sculptures outside, but inside we were given a crash course on the history of impressionism. Housed in a former hotel and train station, this museum has a wonderful collection of art from 1848-1914. Additionally, the original ballroom and restaurant from the hotel are intact and very opulent.

Across from the d'Orsay, we were able to get on the Batobus, a water taxi that makes a continuous circular journey and allows you to hop on and off to get to various sites along the Seine. Since we had a limited time, this seemed like a good way to see quite a bit.

This is a view of Notre Dame Cathedral taken from the Batobus. We got off the boat to tour the inside of this magnificent structure. As an added bonus, in the courtyard in front of the church there was a festival tent set up that turned out to be a bakers' competition. We were able to walk through the area and see the competitors at work.

Here are some of the baguettes ready for judging!

While in the neighborhood, we did some shopping and also had lunch at a patisserie.

Back on the Batobus, we stopped at the Louvre. We didn't have time to tour the museum, but we got to peek into one of the sculpture galleries and walked around the courtyard. We strolled through Tuileries gardens.

Another stop brought us to the area by the Grand and Petit Palaces and for a walk on the Champs Elysees toward the Arc de Triomphe.

Our final stop was the Eiffel Tower and a lovely restaurant, Au Bon Accueil, where we had dinner reservations. Wined and dined, we emerged from the restaurant after dark to see the tower illuminated! What a sight!